The popularity of a gaming device depends in part upon the level of enjoyment and excitement that the game provides to its players. Gaming device manufacturers constantly strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a bonus round in which a player has an opportunity to win potentially large awards or credits in addition to the awards associated with the base game of the gaming device is one way to enhance player enjoyment and excitement.
Known gaming devices having bonus rounds employ a triggering event that occurs during the base game operation of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts the base game play and enables a player to enter a second, different game, which is the bonus game. The player plays the bonus game to its fruition, likely receives an award, and returns to the base game. In most instances, the bonus game or round is relatively short in relation to the time that the player spends playing the base game. The player may play the bonus game or round a number of times while playing the base game of the gaming device.
An example of the bonus game or round just described is the TOP DOLLAR.TM. game, which is manufactured and distributed by IGT, the assignee of this application. In the TOP DOLLAR.TM. game, the player plays a primary game until reaching the bonus round, which occurs when a combination of the reels of the gaming device matches a combination programmed into the controller of the gaming device. The player enters the bonus round, plays the bonus round to its fruition and then returns to the normal or base game of the gaming device. There is no limit to the amount of times that the player can enter the bonus round.
Another example of the above described bonus game or round is disclosed in European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. Here, the device operates in a basic game until a "start bonus" event occurs, which causes the device to shift to a bonus game. The player plays the bonus game by selecting and uncovering awards until the player selects and uncovers a bonus round terminator, at which point the bonus round ends and the player returns to the base game.
In both of the examples, the gaming device randomly determines when the bonus round begins by incorporating certain symbols or combinations of symbols into the reels or random generation mechanism of the base game. Thus, while the player is playing the base game, the player desires to obtain symbols or combinations thereof that yield base game awards. The player also desires to obtain the symbols or combinations thereof that enable the player to enter the bonus game or round.
It should be appreciated that but for the symbols that the base game generates to enable the player to enter the bonus round, known bonus games or rounds are relatively independent of, and have little interaction with, the base game. The European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 discloses a "bonus resource" that a player obtains during the base game, which the player can thereafter apply during the bonus round. However, the level of interaction between the base game and the bonus game is limited to the function assigned to the bonus resource, such as overriding an event that would otherwise end the bonus round.
Other known games include bonus rounds which are generally self-contained and do not interact with the base game. Such bonus rounds award the player an additional award and then end. A particular bonus round has no further affect on the outcome of the base game or upon the outcome of a future bonus round. It is thus desirable to create a bonus scheme or additional game that is separate and apart from the base game, but that operates along side or in conjunction with the base game. It is also desirable to have such a game that is separable from the base game, but that is on-going rather than self-contained. Providing an ongoing and interactive bonus or additional game increases enjoyment and excitement because the player, in essence, plays two games wherein the player can be successful at either.